Talpa's Triumph
"Talpa's Triumph" is the eighteenth episode of Ronin Warriors. It was originally broadcasted on syndicated television during the summer of 1995, and was eventually aired through reruns on the SciFi channel, as well as part of Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block. Summary Ryo of the Wildfire faces off against Talpa alone, but before he can defeat the Dynasty Emperor, he must first find a way to rescue his friends. Will he prevail or will Talpa reclaim the last of his armor? Synopsis With only one more armor to reclaim, Talpa goes straight for the attack, using his sword to slice up the roof below his and Ryo's feet. The Ronin is blasted into the sky, but quickly recovers and lands safely on a spire. The Dynasty Emperor takes a moment to relish in the power he has gained from the eight armors. He then thanks Ryo for all the effort that he and the other Ronins put into defeating the Dark Warlords, as the strength they gained from each battle has now become his own. Wildfire reflects on his friends' valient efforts to protect him, expressing his regret for not being able to save them. He promises that he will keep fighting in their honor. Talpa reminds Ryo that he's the last one standing, and that his power will increase the Demon Emperor's once he's been absorbed. Mia and Yuli run up to the foot of the castle, looking up at the battle above them. Yuli calls to Ryo as Mia states her disbelief that the legend is coming to pass. Yuli asks what happened to the other four. Mia explains that they've been defeated and that there might not be anything that can stop Talpa from taking the Mortal World. Yuli demands to know how the Ronins could have possibly lost, but Mia has no answer for him. He refuses to give up hope and shouts encouragingly to Ryo. Talpa repeats that Ryo and his Armor of Wildfire are going to join with him and aid in his destruction of the Mortal Realm. However, Ryo refuses to give up. He leaps onto the giant Dynasty Emperor and starts his assault, but is no match for Talpa and quickly finds himself knocked back down on the roof. Talpa sneers at his efforts and leaps up, aiming to land right on top of Wildfire with one foot. Ryo gets up and dodges out of the way just as Talpa slams through the tiles. Talpa immediately changes tactics and slashes his sword in the Ronin's direction, unleashing a wave of power. Ryo's caught by surprise and barely dodges Talpa's next thrust with his blade. The sword instead brings down one of the spires surrounding the castle. Wildfire uses the damaged spire as a springboard to leap up into the air. He uses his special attack and lands a direct hit, but unfortunately, Talpa takes it in stride. Ryo reacts in confusion, and Talpa informs him that the power of the eight armors makes him much stronger than the power of the Wildfire Armor. He grabs Ryo and holds him tight in one hand, causing the Ronin pain. Talpa prepares to absorb Ryo into him, even as the Warrior of Fire protests and struggles. Suddenly, a strange presence freezes both Ronin and Dynasty Emperor in their place. Talpa's grip losens on Ryo, much to his surprise, but Wildfire realizes what's happening - the other four Ronins are fighting from within. This new revalation strengthens Ryo's resolve. Talpa mocks the four, claiming that they're attempts to defy him are useless. He's still determined to complete his armor and once again goes to absorb Ryo, but the Ronin jumps out of his reach. He now has a new problem. Any move he makes against Talpa could potentially hurt the other Ronin Warriors, so Ryo must find a way to save them before he takes out the Dynasty Emperor. Down below, Mia and Yuli run from the Dynasty soldiers that now pursue them. However, Yuli trips and falls, forcing Mia to stop and go back for him. It gives the soldiers just the time they need to catch up. Just as one is about to strike, though, White Blaze tackles it to the ground and then proceeds to take out the others. The two civilians stop to watch, knowing they are safe. Ryo starts running from Talpa, much to his amusement as he chases after him. Ryo is still obsessing over finding a way to free his friends without hurting them. Coming to the edge of the roof, Wildfire stops and turns to face the Dynasty Emperor. He glances down briefly at the dark cloud bank below him. Talpa continues to gloat over his upcoming victory over the Ronin Warriors. He offers Ryo the chance to be reunited with his friends by surrendering, but Ryo refuses, stating that the Emperor is trying to trick him. Talpa advances on him again, forcing Ryo to step back to the very edge of the roof. There's literally nowhere for him to go. Talpa wonders why the Ronin continues to fight his fate, but he's once again stopped by the other four Ronins. Done playing games, the Dynasty Emperor demands that Ryo give into him. Talpa summons a bolt of lighting, which strikes his sword and temporarily blinds Ryo. Down below, the clouds continue to cover Toyama. The sectors of the city that were once unaffected by the Nether Realm's influence suddenly lose power. The clouds clear to reveal Talpa's castle, high above the city skyline. Talpa tells Ryo to gaze down at the city, where the fear of it's people continue to give him strength. It won't be long before the entire planet is affected. His words spark a memory within Ryo as he recalls the source of Talpa's power - the captured citizens of Toyama. Mia contemplates the meaning of this and excitedly realizes that this means that those who were taken prisoner must still be alive. Yuli is thrilled to hear that his mom and dad are okay. Mia tells him that it's the people's fear that has allowed Talpa to grow in size. She says that the Dynasty Emperor can't be allowed to win. Yuli tells Ryo that he has to defeat Talpa to save his parents. Ryo promises to do what he can, but he can't just abandon the other Ronins. Talpa tells him to forget about them, as he's the one currently in trouble. He moves in to grab Ryo again, but the Ronin loses his footing and falls off the roof. Ryo manages to grab on to the edge of one of the lower roofs with one hand. Mia and Yuli call up to him, the boy encouraging him. White Blaze runs over to the castle wall and starts leaping up onto the roof. Ryo struggles to hang on while the Dynasty Emperor watches from atop the castle. Talpa is more than happy to let him fall, as long as he can take the Wildfire Armor. The Warrior of Fire proclaims that he won't die until he's taken out Talpa. The Emperor reminds him that doing so will forfeit the lives of the four Ronin Warriors. He won't be denied what he believes to be rightfully his. With that, Talpa leaps off the palace and lands on the ground, demanding that the Armor of Wildfire be returned to him. Ryo refuses again as he starts to pull himself back up onto the roof. Talpa slashes his sword at Ryo, but just misses him due to the timely arrival of White Blaze. Talpa, not pleased, jumps up and attacks again. White Blaze takes off, dodging the blow swiftly as he leaps over the Emperor's shoulder and runs away in the opposite direction. Ryo, meanwhile, continues to think about how to kill Talpa without killng his friends, knowing he can't allow the Dynasty Emperor to live. Talpa states that Wildfire's retreat won't work, as he can simply use the power of the other armors against him. Ryo doesn't understand, and so Talpa follows up this statement by summoning the power of the Armor of the Strata. The Dynasty Emperor shapeshifts into Rowen and uses his signature attack. Ryo calls out to his friend, but quickly realizes that Strata doesn't seem to recognize him. White Blaze leaps up to avoid the arrow, and the blast strikes part of the roof behind them. Yuli asks Mia if she knows why Rowen would turn on Ryo. Mia tells him that it's not Rowen, but Talpa who launched the attack. Now that he has their armors, he's able to take over the Ronins. White Blaze slows to a stop as Ryo recovers from the attack, though he's still confused about what's going on. Talpa, having changed back to his true form, comments on Ryo's mood. He then continues to prove his power by changing his form again, this time into Sage. With the power of the Armor of Halo, he strikes with his special move, this time landing a direct hit on Ryo. The Emperor changes back into himself before taking on the form of Cye and unleashes his special attack with the power of the Torrent Armor. Wildfire uses his sword to try and block it, but the force of the attack is too strong, and he's knocked off of White Blaze. Once the attack has died down, White Blaze walks back over to Ryo as Talpa jumps down to the ground to join them. He changes his shape one more time to Kento and, with the power of the Armor of Hardrock, uses his signature move. The two try to hold their ground, but have no choice but to leave the area. Unfortunatley, they're still caught in the backlash and thrown to the ground again. Ryo struggles to try and sit up as Talpa approaches again. The Dynasty Emperor gloats over his new power. A short distance away, Mia and Yuli are beginning to understand the desperation of the situation. Mia expresses her surprise over Talpa's strength. Yuli tries to charge into the fray himself, but she holds him back. He just wants to help Ryo, knowing that the Ronin is about to lose. Talpa actually expresses regret on having to bring Ryo down using the power of the other Ronin Armors. However, he feels it was well worth it, as the Armor of Wildfire will now become a part of him. As he approaches Ryo, the Ronin silently wonders what the point of all this was if it only ended in their defeat. Talpa prepares to make the final strike, and Ryo apologizes to his friends for failing, knowing they will be together again. But just as he finishes this thought, his virtue flashes across his forehead and the Wildfire Armor begins to glow. Ryo is brought back to his feet as his friends surround him spirtually, restoring the power to his armor. He reacts in surprise, not understanding what's going on. It's not long, though, before he figures it out and glancing up at Talpa proves it. The Dynasty Emperor is frozen in place, the power of the Ronin Warriors holding him back. And he is not happy about it in the slightest. Rowen and Sage encourage Ryo to attack Talpa. Cye tells him that they will keep the Emperor paralyzed while he strikes. Kento says that he shouldn't worry about the four of them. Rowen concurs, adding that their mission is to protect the Mortal Realm. Talpa tries to resist the Ronin power, but can't break their hold on him. Ryo starts to notice that his blades have seemed to come together by themselves, preparing for his signature move. He struggles against it, knowing what will happen if he allows his friends to influence his armor like this. He refuses to forfeit their lives. His arms are forced into the air as Rowen chastises him, reminding him that the whole reason they were captured was to give Ryo this chance. Sage tells him to go for it as the blade of the Wildfire Sword moves into place, pointing directly at Talpa. Ryo commands his friends not to force his hand. Kento scolds him for hesitating. Cye again reminds him that their hold on Talpa can only last for so long, which means Ryo needs to attack right away. Ryo's blades move, fusing together and preparing to initiate the attack. Talpa's body is flashing the various Ronin colors. However, Ryo refuses, begging his friends to stop pressuring him into doing something he doesn't want to do. He regains control over himself and separates the Swords of Wildfire. Talpa suddenly finds himself able to move again, the power of the Ronin Warriors giving out. He informs Ryo that it's time to surrender. Ryo falls to his hands and knees, tears streaming down his cheeks as he trembles from what just happened. For the last time, Talpa raises his blade in the air and brings it down, pointing directly at Ryo. Wildfire screams as he's caught in it's beam. Mia and Yuli call his name. Yuli tells him not to give up. White Blaze roars. But it's too late. Talpa has claimed the ninth and final armor. Continuity *The Ronins entered Talpa's castle and started fighting their way to Talpa in Raid on Talpa's Castle. *Talpa regained control over eight of the nine mystical armors in the previous episode, leaving Ryo to face the Dynasty Overlord one-on-one. *Ryo recalls the moments of each Ronins' capture and absorption by Talpa. *Just as Talpa is about to reclaim the Armor of Wildfire, Rowen, Sage, Cye, and Kento intervene by holding Talpa back and encouraging Ryo to attack. Ryo refuses. *Ryo has been captured, and now that his armor is about to be absorbed, it seems that Talpa has won. Title Talpa has spent the last thousand years plotting his revenge, and in this episode, his goals may finally be realized as he regains control over all nine mystical armors. Cast ::: Ryo of the Wildfire — Matt Hill Rowen of the Strata — Ward Perry Cye of the Torrent / Sage of the Halo — Michael Donovan Kento of Hardrock — Jason Gray-Stanford Mia — Lalainia Lindbjerg Yuli — Christopher Turner Talpa — Mina E. Mina Narrator — David Kaye Quotes "Left to face Talpa alone, Ryo realizes that Talpa needs his armor and that this battle is not going to be an easy one." : — The Narrator, stating the obvious. "My friends sacrificed themselves while trying to save me. They did everything they could. Oh, if only I'd been stronger, I could've saved them. They died so I could live to finish this mission." : — Ryo feels guilty about what happened to the other Ronins. "It can't be! The legend is true after all. Talpa has regained his physical form." : — Mia loses hope after seeing the nearly restored Dynasty Emperor. "I have the power of eight armors. Do you honestly think you can harm me alone?" : — Talpa, after surviving a direct hit from the Armor of Wildfire. "If they're alive, then - I've got to find a way to free them. How can I kill Talpa and not kill them? I have to figure out something. There's got to be a way to fight him and still save my friends. I can't lose this." : — Ryo, determined to find another way to win. Talpa: "There is nothing left for you, Ryo of the Wildfire. Give up and become a part of me. If you do, you will be reunited with your friends." Ryo: "I'm not stupid, Talpa! I know that's a lie!" : — Talpa has a one-track mind, but Ryo refuses to listen to him. "Hang on, Ryo!" : — Yuli, making a really bad pun as Ryo dangles single-handedly from the palace roof. Talpa: "Come to me, Armor of Wildfire! Come and take your rightful place in my Dynasty!" Ryo: "My armor will never obey you!" : — Talpa, still beating that dead horse. "I gotta figure out what to do! If I kill Talpa, my friends will die, but if I don't, he will destroy the world." : — Ryo continues to obsess over this dilemma. Ryo: "I can't do it! My friends, I can't kill you just to beat Talpa. I won't make that sacrifice." Rowen: "Come on, think about it. We saved you so you could kill Talpa." Sage: "Our souls are in your hands. Take your best shot!" Ryo: "Stop it! Stop it now, please!" Kento: "What're you waiting for, man? We're banking on your power to pull this off!" Cye: "Show him the power of the Armor of Wildfire! Do it now while we can hold him!" Ryo: "No. I can't. I can't do it! I won't! I can't destroy Talpa if it kills you. Don't make me, please!" : — The Ronin Warriors try to convince Ryo to attack, despite the fact that he doesn't want to hurt them. Cultural References * Goofs Animation Mistakes Dialogue Mistakes English Dub Mistakes * When using his special attack, Ryo first invokes the name of his armor, calling out "Armor of Wildfire! Flare Up Now!" Trivia * See Also *The Demon Emperor of Terror Category:Episodes Category:Ronin Warriors